Slide fastener construction for garments



Oct. 21, 1941. J. G. soAvE SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION FOR GARMNTSl Filed June 422, 1959 s sheets-sheet 1` INVENTQR Ja//A/ 6. ,S0/vnf ATTORNEYS nllml" 'UIIN" WITNESS ,44%zaww Oct. 2l, 1941. l J. G. soAvE SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION FOR GARMENTS v Filed Jurie 22, 19:59

v 3. Sheets-Sneet 3 llllnll.

INVENTOR Ja//v 6. .5 0,1/5

Willman:

WITNESS y ATTORNEYS v the fastener.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDE FASTE'NER CONSTRUCTION FOB.

GARMENTS John Giovanni Soave, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor to Waldes Koh-I-Noor, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2z, 1939, serial No. 280,554

'l Claims.

the body either for the purposes of support or l appearance, as in the case of corsets, as the snugness with which the garment encircles the body aggravates the stresses to which the garment is subjected in vslipping it on and off the body and are so high that the garment is frel quently ripped or. torn or otherwise damaged at the closed end of the opening. When the opening of such a garment is provided with a slide fastener structure, it has been found that the stresses thus placed on the garment are likely.

to either rip the fastener structure from the garment material or cause breakage of the fastener structure in one way or another if the stresses are not taken up in some manner so as to lessen their effect on the fastener structure. facturers have endeavored to solve the problemv by reenforcing the garment material and/or the fastener structure in various ways. For example; it has been proposed to apply a short strap of Manumaterial across the fastener structure 'just above 30 the bottom stop of the fastener, the ends of such material being stitched to the stringer tapes of The disadvantages of this construction, however, were that it was likely to rip off since the areas which could be stitchedopening the fastener. Another method suggested was to sew a straight or zigzag stitch line through one of the Stringer tapes and a protective flap underlying the fastener, just above the l slider in its open position. While this construc.

tion was of some help, the area covered by the `i5 stitches was comparatively small and the stitches 'concentrated at that particular area where they hady to take the entire brunt of the Vstresses on the garment were unable to withstand such counteract the stresses, the backing became so weakened that it was likely to rip oif. Other methods were devised by the art )in an effort to lsolve this problem but so far none have resulted tect the garment and slide fastener structure against the stresses which the type of garment with which this invention is particularly interested is subjected.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a new land improved slide fastener construction which will. be free of the objections above indicated, which will prevent any damage to the parts of which the fastener structure is constituted in taking oif or putting on Athe garment and will satisfactorily absorb and take up the stresses applied to the garment during such operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slide fastener construction in which the slider can be readily operated either in the closing or opening direction when such structure is applied to tight fitting garments such as corsets.

The above objects are attained preferably by incorporating a hook and eye tape in the fastener structure so that the lower end of the hook tape extends from one Stringer of the fastener at a suitable point above the slider when the latteris inits lowermost position, diagonally upwards across the fastener structure and is permanently secured intermediate the other Stringer of the fastener and the eye tape.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which `Eig. 1 is a front elevational view 0f a portion of a garment provided with the fastener construction of this invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1 with the slide fastener structure opened to enable the garment to be slipped on or removed from the body of the user; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a portion of the garment and the slide fastener structure illustrating an initial step in the manufacture of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the hook tape utilized in the construction of this invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 `of Fig. 5; Fig. 'l is a rear elevational view illustrating another step in the 4 manufacture of thisiconstruction; Fig. 8 is a seclstresses and if enough stitches were applied to in a construction which would satisfactorily protion taken along theline 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a front view of the eye tapegincorporated in the fastener constructionFig. '10 is a sectional View taken along the line lil-I0 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary front view of a construction embodying a modified form of 'the invention; Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line IZ-Iz of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a fragmentary front view of a construction embodying still another form of the invention and Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line I4-I4 of Fig. 13.

In the drawings the reference numerals I and 2` designate the sections of garment material which are folded under along their opposed edges to form the side edges of the opening of the garment. The opening extends from an of the garment and is closed at an intermediate portion of the garment by a section of material 3 whose upper end is folded under to provide an underlying flap. The three sections of material are secured together by two vspaced lines of stitches (not shown) which extend from the closed end of the opening downwardly along the folded edges of the garment sections I and 2. This manner of forming an opening in a garment is one of the'conventional methods employed by garment manufacturers in the making of corsets, etc. The opening is closed by a slide fastener structure comprising a-stringer tape 4 secured by stitches to the garment sections I and 3 and a stringer tape 5 secured by parallel stitches 20 and 2l through the material of the Stringer tape 4 and the garment sections I and 3. The rows of stitches 20 and 2l, as is shown inFig. 3, extend from below the bottom 5 stop I5 of the fastener structure to the outer edge of the garment and unite the entire length of the Stringer tape 4 to the garment section I and the garment section 3. In the next operation, the hook tape 81s secured to the stringer tape 4.

The hook tape 8 is formed from a single strip of l5 the latter of which is again foldedunder along its Aedge portion so that its free longitudinal edge overlies the -edge of the folded portion 22. The several portions of the strip are then secured together by a line of stitche/s`24 which also secures to such strip .the hooks 9 whose root portions are disposed intermediate the folded portions 22 and 23 of the strip. 'I'he lower end I0 of the hook tape is then cut so that its edge I8 is disposed at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal length stitches to the garment sections 2 and 3. As is 25 of the tape for a purpose which will hereinafter customary, the opposed edges of the stringer tapes 4 and 5 are provided with rows of fastener elements 6 arranged to be manipulated into interlocked or open position by means of a slider 1 in a manner which is well understood in the art. Underlying the stringer tape 4 and being permanentlysecured thereto is a hook tape 8 provided with a plurality of spaced hooks 9, the lower one o f which is spaced at a predetermined point above the slider 1 when the latter is in its lowermost or fully opened position, as is shown in Fig. 2.- The hook tape 8 is secured to the stringer tape 4 from the edge of the garbe made more clear.

In securing the hook tape 8 to the garment, the latter is turned upside down with the Stringer tapes on top and the hook tape placed on the Stringer tape 4 with the hooks 9 extending toward the opening .of the garment. The hook tape 8 is then secured in position by two rows of stitches 25 and 26, such stitches penetrating the Stringer tape 4 and the garment section'l from the edge of the garment to a point spaced above the botment to a point intermediate the lowermost or A fully opened position of the slider and the lowermost hook 9 as is illustrated in Figs. 1 vand 2 of the drawings, whereupon it is folded diagonally upwards across the rows of elements 6 of the fastener structure and is secured at its end I0 to the s tringer tape 5. The intermediate portion II of the hook tape is secured to an eye tape I3 by means of a plurality of stitches I2 as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the` drawings.

The eye tape I3 which is'provided o folded diagonally so that the free end Ill thereof extends upwardly at an angle to the slide fastener construction with its lower edge I8 flush with the outer edge of the Stringer tape 5. The free end I0 of the hook tape is in this folded po- 4'5 sition then secured, to the stringer tape 5 by means of two longitudinally extending lines of stitches 21 and 28.

In the next operations the eye tape or backing I3 is incorporated in the structure. The eye tape with a plurality of eyes I4 arranged to be o I3 comprises a strip 29 of filler material around interlocked with the hooks 9 on the hook -tape 5, underlies the Stringer tapes 4 and- 5 to form a backing and is secured to the stringer tape 5 throughout its entire length. The eye tape I3 is also secured to the lower end portion of the stringer tape 4 in the region of the bottom stop I5 of the fastener structure and below the fold of the hook tape 8. At the outerend of the opening formed between the garment sections I and 2, the thickened edges of the Stringer tapes 4 and 5 are spread outwardly and the outer edges of the .several tapes and garment sections I and 2 are covered by means of the sections I6 and I1 of binding material.

In producing the above described construction,

'the slide fastener structure is placed on the which the longitudinal edge portions of a covering strip 30 have been folded in overlapping relationl the free edge of the overlapping edge portion being again folded under to present an outer folded edge, as is Shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The several portions of thev covering strip 30 and the filler strip 29 are secured together by a line of l stitches-V3I which extend along the folded edge Tof the overlapping edge portion of the covering strip. The eyes I4, as will be observed in Fig. 9 of the drawings, are disposed intermediate the overlapping edge portions of the covering strip `3l) and are secured in position by means of the 'line of stitches 3I and additional transversev stitches extending through the looped ends of the rootportions of such eyes. In securing the eye tape |3120 the fastener structure, the eyes thereof lare first interengaged in proper relation with the hooks 9'A of the hook tape 8 and with the hook and eye tapes thus interlocked, two lines of stitches 32and 33 are made to secure the eye tape yI3 to the Stringer-tape 5 and the garment sections 2 and 3. The lines of stitches 32 and 33 extend in parallelism with the opening in the to the `sewing machine to apply two rows of garment from the lower end of the Stringer tape to `the outer edge of the garment, as will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The eye tape I3 is also secured to the Stringer tape 4 and the garment sections I and 3 by a pair of parallel longitudinally extending lines of stitches 34 and 35 which extend `from the fold of the hook tape 8 down to the bottom end of the stringer tape 4. Transverse lines of stitches 38 and 31 are also applied to permanently unite the bottom ends of all the tapes with the exception, of course, of the upturned end I0 of the hook tape 8. 'I'he sewing of the several lines of stitches 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 31 may be done most conveniently when the garment is front side up as is shown in Fig. l1 of the drawings. Additional lines 39 of transverse stitches may be applied to the structure below the fold of the hook tape 8 to strengthen the connection between the stringer tape 4 and the garment section I in such region. Additional transverse lines of stitches 40 may be applied also below the end III of the hook tape and in line with the transverse lines of nally extending line of stitches 32, the stitchespenetrating the garment sections 2 and 3, Stringer tape 5, eye tape I3 and the end I0 of the hook tape 8 to further strengthen the connection of these parts and to provide for a balanced appearance with respect to the applied lines of stitches.

The fastener structure is then opened by sliding the slider 'I down until it engages with its bottom stop I5. 'Ihe hooks 9 and eyes I4 are also opened and the garment folded on one side, as is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this position of the parts, the garment is then'brought under the sewing needle and the substantially quadrangularly shaped line of stitches I2 is applied to the hook tape 8 and theeye tape or backing I3, as is shown in said Fig. 2. A single needle sewing machine is best suited for this operation which secures to the eye tape I3 the intermediate portion Il of the hook tape 8 which would otherwise obstruct the operation of the slider. 'I'his additional stitching also serves to further strengthen the connection of the hook tape 8 with the garment section 2, the Stringer tape 5 and eye tape I3. The binding sections I8 and I1 may then be applied to the outer edges of the garment sections I and 2 by the transverse lines of stitches 42 and 43.

It Will. be evident from the foregoing that when a garment embodying the above described construction is slipped onto the body, with, the fastener structure entirely open, the stresses which would normally tend to sharply bend the Stringer tape 4 at the upper edge of the slider are resisted by the hook tape 8 which through its connection with the garment section I and Stringer tape 4, the eye tape I3, the Stringer tape 5 and the garment section 2, functions to transmit such stresses uniformly over the surfaces of these parts of the garment so that no one portion of the garment and the slide fastener structure will besubjected to all of the forces exerted on the construction as has heretofore been the case. The weakest point. of the garment and fastener Structure is thus protected against any damage resulting from the stresses raised in trying to slip the garment into position on the body.

When the garment is in position on the body, the hooks 3 of the took tape are interengaged with the eyes I4 of the eye tape thereby so positioning the Stringer tapes 4 and 5 and the interlocking elements carried thereby with relation to each other that the slider may be readily operated to close the fastener structure and to open the same. When the garment is being removed from the body the hook and eye tapes are first disengaged thereby enabling the Stringer tapes 4 and 5 to be separated so that the garment can be slipped oil. the reenforcing construction of the hook tape 8 preventing any damage to the fastener structure during such removal by distributing the stresses overv a relatively large area of surface of the garment and away from the sections oi' the garment which would be subjected ordinarily to such stresses. By positioning the fold of the hook tape just above the slide fastener so that the intermediate portion II of the hook tape extends across the elements just above the slider in the direction of the stresses applied,

sharp-bends in the Stringer tape 4 will be pre-` vented while at the same time allowing the stringers to be separated to the maximum extent necessary for removal of the garment. Furthermore by placing the lowermost hook and eye on their respective tapes so that they interengage just above the intersection of the rows of elements with the upper edge of the intermediate portion II of the hook tape the movement of the slider over such portion II is facilitated and a neater compact arrangement of the structure is attained.

While I have described with particularity the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my inven-l tion. For example, instead of positioning the Stringer tape 5 and the eye tape I3 as has been disclosed, such end of the hook tape may be positioned intermediate the overlapping folded portions of the eye tape. This construction is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings in which the numerals 44 and 45 designate the overlapping edge portions or naps of the covering strip 30 of the eye tape or backing I3 and the numeral I0' designates the end of the upturned portion of the hook tape which enters between the naps at the folded edge of the'flap 45. By thus positioning the lower end of the hook tape .an additional strengthening means is obtained by the line of stitches 3| and a neat compact structure is obtained. so mso 1n shotlengths of time4 fasteners where no hooks and eyes are required,

means of a separate piece of tape 46 which may be secured to a large area of the Stringer tape 4' by means of stitches 41 and at its other end to the Stringer tape 5' and a backing strip 48. In this embodiment of the invention, the backing strip 48 may be constructed in a manner sim-4 ilar to the eye tape I3 above described to provide two folded overlapping flap portions which enclose a strip of filler material. The end of the reenforcing strip 46 may be either inserted between the overlapping -aps of the backing 4l,

as is illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 or secured intermediate the backing 'strip and the Stringer tape 5 in the manner shown and described with respect to the embodiment lillustrated in Figs.

1 to 10 of the drawings. The stitches for securfastened to the backing or eye tape to strengthen the construction and to make surthat the hook or strengthening ltape does not interfere with the operations of the slider.

I claim:

i. In combination, a slide fastener comprising a pair of Stringer tapes provided with interlocking fastening means along their opposed edges, a slider on said fastening means for opening and closing the Same, means permanently connecting the lower ends of Said Stringer tapes and serving as a stop for the slider when the latter is moved to the fully opened condition of the fastener to permit one of the Stringer tapes to bend at the upper end of the slider and away from the other stringer tape, a backing member underlying said stringer tapes in their closed position, a iiexible elongated member permanently secured to said bendable Stringer tape and extending downwardly on the underside of Such tape in the latters `closed position to a point located near to and above the slider when the latter is at the bottom end of the fastener, said member at such point being folded to extend diagonally upward across the underside of said fastening means land the other Stringer tape, means permanently securing the diagonally extending portion of said exible memF ber to said backing member and said other stringer tape within the area. of the latter and securing means located adjacently abovel the fold of said member in the closed condition of the fastener andsecuring the diagonally extending portion of said member. tol Said backing member, the diagonally extending portion of said flexible member being so disposed with relation to said tapes that when said bendable Stringer tape is bent away from the other Stringer tape under transverse stresses in the ifully opened position of the slider, said exible member is extended toits full ength and equally distributes throughout its entire area, the transverse stresses exerted on the fastener in Such region thereby reducing to a minimum the strains on said securing means, and said securing means transmitting the uniformly distributed stresses acting on said flexible member to both of said Stringer tapes and said backing member whereby all portions of the structure cooperate to absorb the transverse stresses acting on such Structure and no portion of the structure less than the whole will be' subjected to all of such stresses.

'2. In combination, a slide fastener comprising a pair of Stringertapes provided with interlock- .lng fastening means along their opposed edges, a

slider .on said fastening means for opening and closing the Same, means permanently connecting the lower ends of said Stringer tapes and serving as a stop for the slider when the latter is moved to the fully opened condition of the lfastener to permit oneof the Stringer tapes to bend at the upper end of the slider and away from the other Stringer tape, a backing member underlying said Stringer tapes in their closed position, means securing a longitudinal edge portion of said backing member throughout its entire length to the other of said Stringer tapes, a flexible elongated member positioned intermediate said bendable Stringer tape and the f ree longitudinal edge portion of said backing member, said iiexible member being folded intermediate its ends at a point located near to and above the slider when the latter is at the bottom end of -the fastener and having a portion extending longitudinally of said bendable Stringer tape and a portion extending diagonally across thefree longitudinal edge portion of said backing member, and securing means permanently attaching Such portions of the ilexible member to said other Stringer tape and the free edge portion of said backing member, respectively, the diagonally extending portion of lSaid flexible member being so disposed with relation to said tapes that When-said bendable stringervtape is bent away from the other Stringer tape under transverse stresses in the fully opened positionof the slider, said flexible member is extended to its full length and equally distributes throughout its entire area the transverse stresses exerted on the fastener in such region thereby reducing to a minimum the strains on said securing means, and said securing means transmitting the uniformly distributed stresses acting on said flexible member to both ofsaid Stringer tap and said backing member whereby all portions of the structure cooperate to absorb the transverse stress acting on such structure and no portion of the structure less than the whole will be subjected to all of such stresses.

3. In combination, a slide fastener comprising a pair of Stringer tapes provided with interlocking fastening means along" their opposed edges, a Slider on Said fastening means for opening and closing the same, means permanently connecting the lower ends of said Stringer tapes and serving as a Stop for the slider when the latter iS moved to the fully opened condition of the-fastener to permit one of the Stringer tapes to bend at the' upper end of the slider and away from the other Stringer tape, a. exible elongated member permanently secured to said bendable Stringer tape and extending downwardly on the underside of Such tape in ithe latters closed position to a point other Stringer tape, said securing means penetrating the/,diagonally extending portion of said exible member to unite it with said edge portion of Said backing member and said other Stringer tape, and securing means 1 above the fold of said flexible member in the -closed position of the fastener and securing the diagonally extending portion of Said member to the free longitudinal edge portion of said back- .ing member, the diagonally extending portion of said flexible member being so disposed with relation to Said tapes that when said bendable Stringer tape is bent, way from the other Stringer tape under transverse Stresses in the fully opened position of the slider, said flexible member is extended to its full length and equally distributes throughout its entire area the transverse stresses exerted on the fastener in Such region thereby reducing to a minimum the strains n said securted adjacently 5. In combination with a garment having an y opening extending from one edge to an intermediate portion thereof, a.' slide fastener for closing lthe opening comprising tape stringers secured to the garment material along the edges of the opening, interlocking fastening means on the edges of said tapes. a slider on said fastening means for opening and closing the same, means permanently connecting the lower ends of said strlnger tapes and serving as a stop for the slider when the latter is moved to the fully opened condition of the fastener to permit one of the Stringer tapes to bend at the upper end of the slider and away from the other stringer tape, a flexible elongated member permanently united to said bendable Stringer tape and the garment material to which lsaid tape is secured, said member entirely underlying said bendable Stringer tape and extending absorb the transverse stresses acting on such tion of said backing member, the dlagonallyextending portion of said flexible member being so disposed with relation to said tapes that when said bendable Stringer tape is bent away from the other stringer tape under transverse stresses in the fully opened position of the slider, said exible member is extended to its full length and equally distributes throughout its entire area the transverse stresses exerted on the fastener in such region thereby reducing to a minimum the strains on said securing means, and said securing means transmitting the uniformly distributed stresses acting on said exible member to both of said stringer tapes and said backing member whereby all portions of the structure cooperate to structure and no portion ofthe structure less than the whole will be subjected to all of such stresses.

6. In combination, a slide fastener comprising a pair of stringer tapes provided with interlocking. fastening means along their opposed edges, a slider on said fastening means for opening and closing the same, a hook tape provided with a plurality of spaced hooks permanently secured to one of said Stringer tapes and extending downwardly on the underside of such. stringer tapes in the latters closed position to a point located near to and above the slider when the latter is at from the upper end portion thereof downwardly 80 the bottom end of the fastener, said hook tape at on the underside of such tape in the latters' ing portion of said exible member to unite itl such point being folded to extend diagonally upward across the underside of said fastening means to underlie the other Stringer tape,'an eye tape underlying said strlnger tapes in their closedpositlon and being provided with a plurality of eyes adapted to be interlocked Withthe hooks on said hook tape. means securing one longitudinal edge portion of said eye tape throughout its entire length to said other stringer tape, said' securing 40 means penetrating the diagonally extending por'- with said edge portion of the backing member I and said other stringer tape, securing means located below the fold of said flexible member and uniting the other longitudinal edge portion of said backing member to said first-mentioned bendable stringer tape and the garment material and securing means located adjacently above the fold of said exible member in the closed position of the fastener and securing the diagonally extending portion of said ilexible member to the free section of said Aother longitudinal edge portion of said hook tape to unite it with said edge portion of the eye tape and said other stringer tape, and securing means located adjacently above the fold of said hook tape'in the closed position of the fastener and securing the diagbnally extendingportion of said hook tape to the other longitudinal edge portion of said eye tape.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, in which the lowermost hook of "said hook tape and the cooperating eye of said eye tape are located adjacently above fthe diagonally extending portion of said hook* tape in the closed position of the fastener.

JOHN GIOVANNI SOAVE.v 

